Journalists’ brains below average due to alcohol and caffeine: Study

According to a study released Thursday by neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart in association with the London Press Club, the highest functions of the human brain operate at a lower level in journalists than the average population.

Her research titled “Study Into The Mental Resilience of Journalists,” blames journalists’ cognitive shortcomings on dehydration caused by excessive alcohol consumption along with poor diet, including higher levels of sugar and caffeine.

Less than 5% of journalists drink enough — or any — water while 41% drank more than 18 alcoholic drinks per week.

The study measured “executive functioning” which, as Swart writes in her report, is “the ability of the brain to regulate emotions, suppress bias, switch between tasks, solve complex problems and think flexibly and creatively.”

She notes that some of the deficiencies may be a result of a high-pressure work environment that doesn’t allow time for mindfulness.

However, she found that journalists actually manage pressure better than many other fast-paced professions, like bankers and sales executives, because they feel a higher sense of purpose related to their work.